How to Get a Two Medicine Permit
Glacier's quiet southeast corner - five wilderness campgrounds under Dawson and Pitamakan Passes - having a genuinely difficult 2026.
Check Two Medicine permit availability$10 permit fee plus $7 per person per night, May 1 to October 31. Winter permits (November 1 to April 30) are free. The lottery application fee is $10 and is non-refundable.
Permit Cost
About Two Medicine
Two Medicine holds five of Glacier National Park's 65 designated wilderness campgrounds: Cobalt Lake, No Name Lake, Oldman Lake, Two Medicine and Upper Two Medicine Lake. All five are no-campfire camps, and Two Medicine itself is flagged as no campfires in 2026. The permit is Glacier's single park-wide wilderness permit on Recreation.gov. The maximum party size is 12, each wilderness campground has 2 to 7 campsites, and each campsite is limited to four people. Glacier has no group campsites - it issues five large-group advance reservations a year for parties of 9 to 12 through a separate single-day lottery, after which large groups can only get permits on a walk-up basis. Costs are $10 for the permit plus $7 per person per night from May 1 to October 31; winter permits are free. The lottery application fee is a separate non-refundable $10. In 2026 the large group lottery ran March 1 and the standard group lottery for parties of 1 to 8 ran March 15, for one of 3,000 advance reservations, with results March 17 and booking from March 21 to April 30. General sale opened May 1 at 8:00 am MT and ran to September 30; October is in-person walk-up only. Approximately 30% of all sites parkwide are held for walk-up campers - a share of sites, not of permits. 2026 is the year to plan carefully here. A utility project replacing the full water distribution system in the Two Medicine developed area and campground started in May 2026, and the Two Medicine Road closes at the Running Eagle Falls Trailhead from September 8, 2026. The Two Medicine Campground is closed for the whole of 2026. The North Shore Trailhead is not accessible because of that construction; the park's reroute to the North Shore Trail requires an unbridged ford, and the workaround is to use the South Shore Trail, which adds about a mile one way. The Two Medicine Ranger Station, which issues permits, is open May 25 to September 7 and closes on September 8, 2026. Vehicle reservations are not required in Two Medicine in 2026.
Two Medicine is the part of Glacier that feels like the park did before the Going-to-the-Sun crowds. Sinopah Mountain over the lake, the Dawson-Pitamakan loop over two passes in a day, and camps at No Name, Oldman, Cobalt and Upper Two Medicine that almost never appear in anyone's photographs. It is also the district where a utility project has rearranged access for the whole 2026 season.
The Experience
Wind. Two Medicine sits where the Rockies meet the plains and the weather comes at you sideways. The lake is grey-blue under Sinopah, the passes above are open tundra, and the valley is emptier than anywhere else in the park with this much scenery in it.
The park publishes one-way distances and gains from the Two Medicine trailheads: Cobalt Lake 5.8 miles and 1,400 feet from the South Shore Trailhead; No Name Lake 4.9 and 800 from the North Shore Trailhead; Oldman Lake 6.4 and 1,500 from the North Shore Trailhead; Upper Two Medicine Lake 5 miles and 350 feet, or 2.2 miles if you take the concession boat; Dawson Pass 6.5 and 2,450; Pitamakan Pass 7.6 and 2,400; Scenic Point 3.9 and 2,350.
For 2026 the North Shore Trailhead is not accessible because of construction in the Two Medicine Campground. The park has established a reroute to the North Shore Trail, but it requires an unbridged ford. Twin Falls, Upper Two Medicine Lake, No Name Lake and Dawson Pass can all be reached without that ford by using the South Shore Trail instead, at a cost of about one extra mile each way.
What to Expect
Five wilderness campgrounds: Cobalt Lake, No Name Lake, Oldman Lake, Two Medicine and Upper Two Medicine Lake
Four people per campsite; maximum party size 12 across the permit
No campfires at any of the five
The North Shore Trailhead is unreachable in 2026 - the reroute needs an unbridged ford, or add a mile via the South Shore Trail
The Two Medicine Campground is closed for all of 2026 and the road closes at Running Eagle Falls from September 8
The Two Medicine Ranger Station issues permits May 25 to September 7 and closes September 8, 2026
A concession boat across Two Medicine Lake cuts the walk to Upper Two Medicine Lake from 5 miles to 2.2
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Permit Requirements
A wilderness permit is required for all backcountry camping and must name your campgrounds and dates
Maximum party size is 12; each campsite is limited to four people
Maximum length of stay in the backcountry is 14 nights total during July and August
Never leave food, garbage, or anything used to prepare, consume, store or transport food unattended - including your backpack
All edible items, containers, cookware and trash must be stored in a vehicle or designated food locker, or hung, day and night
Approaching or engaging in any activity within 100 yards of bears or wolves is prohibited; keep 25 yards from other wildlife
Campfires are prohibited at all five Two Medicine wilderness campgrounds
Advance reservations are limited to 16 miles per day
Gear & Preparation
Required Gear
- •Bear spray, carried where you can reach it
- •A stove - all five camps are no-campfire
- •Wind protection. Two Medicine gets the plains wind and the passes are fully exposed
- •Water treatment
- •Shoes you can ford in, if you use the North Shore reroute
Recommended Gear
- •Trekking poles for the 2,400-foot pass climbs
- •A bear-resistant container
- •A four-season-capable shelter in September; this valley snows early
- •Sun protection for long treeless traverses
Hazards & Safety
The 2026 North Shore reroute requires an unbridged ford
The Two Medicine Road closes at the Running Eagle Falls Trailhead from September 8, 2026
Grizzly bears throughout the valley
Dawson and Pitamakan Passes are fully exposed, with no shelter for miles and afternoon thunderstorms in summer
Wind strong enough to be a real hazard on the pass traverse
Best Time to Visit
Mid-July to early September, and in 2026 specifically before September 8, when the road closes at Running Eagle Falls and the permit office shuts. The passes hold snow into July. Larches around Oldman Lake turn in late September, but by then the access is gone for the year.
Pro Tips
For 2026, finish by September 7. The road closes at Running Eagle Falls and the permit office shuts on September 8.
Route everything off the South Shore Trail this season. It costs about a mile each way and saves you an unbridged ford.
Two Medicine is the easiest good district in Glacier to draw. If Many Glacier and the Highline will not come up, apply here.
The concession boat across Two Medicine Lake turns a 5-mile approach to Upper Two Medicine Lake into 2.2. Check its schedule before you plan around it.
Bring wind gear you would trust on a ridge. Dawson and Pitamakan are open tundra and this corner of the park catches everything coming off the plains.
100+ wilderness permits, extensive backcountry experience
This guide is based on personal experience obtaining wilderness permits and is regularly updated to reflect current policies and strategies.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get a Two Medicine permit?
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Two Medicine permits require advance reservations. Book online as soon as reservations open for your desired dates.
When is the best time to visit Two Medicine?
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Mid-July to early September, and in 2026 specifically before September 8, when the road closes at Running Eagle Falls and the permit office shuts. The passes hold snow into July. Larches around Oldman Lake turn in late September, but by then the access is gone for the year.
How difficult is Two Medicine?
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Backpackers who want Glacier's scenery without Glacier's crowds and are willing to work around a construction season.
What gear do I need for Two Medicine?
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Essential gear includes: Bear spray, carried where you can reach it, A stove - all five camps are no-campfire, Wind protection. Two Medicine gets the plains wind and the passes are fully exposed, Water treatment, Shoes you can ford in, if you use the North Shore reroute.
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